Silvan Trunz, Business Development Manager for Automation and Digital at Bühler explains how digitalization has super-charged the research and development process at the company. “In the past we had to do a lot of research to understand the performance of our machines and how to develop them further. This was very time consuming as we had to collect and work through the figures. Today, we partner with our customers to do this – with their permission, the data is streamed into our algorithms and, by monitoring in real time, we can either instantly adjust a process or advise customers how to improve performance,” says Trunz.

As the team collected ever-increasing volumes of data from across the industry, it became possible to predict production outcomes depending on variables like flour moisture content and quality. By understanding outcomes, it was possible to make real-time automated adjustments to production parameters based on the data feeds. Bühler now has a number of prototype solutions on the market capable of making autonomous production decisions that optimize parameters like the grinding gap and flour moisture content. It is not until autonomous processes have been developed for the whole milling process from intake to packing that the holy grail of the SmartMill will have been reached. A useful analogy when describing the concept of the SmartMill is the development of the driverless car. Sixty years ago, the car industry introduced cruise control, the first driver-assisted function to make driving easier and safer. 
 

“Despite advances in integrating data management into milling processes our industry still lags behind in fully embracing digitalization. Traditional empirical methods dominate, particularly in generating deeper insights into the quality of wheat, gristing, and flour,” explains Varagnac. “For millers to achieve optimal efficiency and sustainability it is crucial to adopt a more holistic approach, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to connect all aspects of the milling process.”

Trunz believes that one of the main obstacles for the industry in its transition is not so much the technology but a satisfaction with the status quo. “It’s a very human reaction: Millers feel that the way they currently do things works. The biggest part of the SmartMill journey is not the development of the technology itself but the process of changing the way that people do their daily jobs,” says Trunz. “The challenge for millers is that the development of the SmartMill is not just about doing the things you have done before more efficiently. This might reduce your costs, but the real game changer is the ability to do things differently. This is where the biggest impact is achieved.”

One example of how digitalization is transforming milling practices is in machine maintenance. Traditionally, this involves a maintenance schedule and skilled workers listening to and inspecting a machine. Using digitalization, algorithms can now analyze machine performance trends and make recommendations on energy usage, maintenance scheduling, and how best to optimize machine performance. Bühler’s Error and Downtime Analysis is a service that interprets and records machine incidents that cause production losses and recognizes patterns and trends. The Bühler Energy Management System keeps a close watch on energy consumption with every part of the process monitored and inefficiencies flagged as data is sent to the cloud to interpret a problem and provide a solution. 
 

To better understand why so much energy is going into the development of the SmartMill it is useful to first look at why it is being developed. The primary reason is efficiency. Milling is a highly competitive industry with tight margins that require optimum efficiency. Every plant operator knows they are in control of a highly interdependent process requiring constant adjustments. The advantage of the autonomous mill is that it reacts faster than a human and is informed by a more precise and complete data set that relates to the whole production process rather than just one aspect. It is the speed and accuracy of these adjustments where optimization is best achieved.

The second reason is an industry-wide shortage of skilled millers. As with other manufacturing sectors, young people are less attracted to working in the often-challenging environment of the traditional mill, leaving a skills shortfall. The SmartMill is bridging that skills gap and is providing a more attractive workplace for our next generation of millers.

Finally, the SmartMill is helping to tackle issues related to climate change. The more waste that can be cut from the production process and the fewer resources we use, the lower the cost base and the smaller the industry’s environmental footprint. “This is where energy efficiency plays such a big part in the story,” explains Trunz. “It means our customers not only reduce their environmental footprint, but also reduce their energy bills. It’s all about optimizing resources, whether it’s your raw material, manpower, or energy usage.”